Are all liquids the same? Examine which liquids allow plants to grow best with this growing experiment. For extra fun, have groups of students plant their own seeds and choose their own liquids, then compare the results.
Kids design seeds to be best dispersed by each of the seed dispersal methods with this creative design activity.
Start a classroom scrap garden and grow fresh food from leftover plants.
Get out of the classroom and into nature with this plant biodiversity activity. Record characteristics of different plants and see how diverse different test sites are as you explore the nature around your school or community.
Can plants grow without soil? Make your own classroom hydroponic garden.
Structures and materials
Videos
Frame, shell, and solid structures.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
The most amazing bridges in the world.
Amazing structures built by animals.
Activities
Compare different fasteners and their characteristics with this stations activity.
Explore the strengths of different shapes with this structure building challenge.
Build simple bridges from different shapes to see which can hold the heaviest load.
Get kids thinking about strong structures with this tornado-proof house design project. For added fun, have students build their designs and test them with a large fan.
Magnetism and static electricity
Videos
Learn about static electricity.
Wat is magnetism?
Magnets and static electricity.
How do compasses work?
Activities
This set of simple activities gets kids thinking about how things move and how some forces can act at a distance.
Using Lego and a magnet, challenge students to design and build the fastest magnet-powered car, then put their cars to the test with a drag race.
Create a simple compass and record data to show that a compass always points north.
This simple activity allows kids to test how strong a magnet is. For even more fun, turn it into an experiment by testing different kinds of magnets to see which one is the strongest.
Exploring soils
Videos
Learn about soil erosion.
Soil is living!
The dirt on dirt.
Learn about soil and agriculture.
Activities
Activity 3 in this resource pack gets students examining different types of soil and identifying mystery soils.
Get kids comparing soils with this water retention experiment.
Compare different kinds of soil to see which one grows the best bean plant.
Explore the effect of moving water on soil with this quick and easy Splash Zone activity.
